Make Each Characterization Test Fail Once Before You Refactor
This story is from 2026-09-15. It is preserved in the archive; the latest stories are on the live feed.
A characterization test that cannot fail is decoration, not a safety net. Most messy-repo refactors fail the same way. You record golden values, they all pass, and you feel safe. Then you extract a function and ship a silent behavior change. The goldens never noticed, because they were never able t…
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- 2026-09-15 02:35 · DEV Community — AI
Make Each Characterization Test Fail Once Before You Refactor